Looking for a truly light and fluffy almond flour cake? Then this is the recipe for you! With a mild sweetness and a fine crumb texture, no one will believe it’s sugar-free and keto-friendly.
I am delighted to re-introduce you to the cake recipe that started it all. This, right here, is the recipe that made me realize that I could create keto cakes that rival anything made with flour and sugar. In both taste AND texture!
This almond flour cake was a watershed moment in my keto baking career. Back in 2012, I came across a cookbook on coffee cakes and one called Almond Crusted Butter Cake caught my eye.
When I set about modifying the recipe to suit my low carb lifestyle, I had no idea it would turn out so spectacularly well. And that it would become the base recipe for so many of my other creations, like Keto Victoria Sponge Cake or my classic Keto Birthday Cake.
Then I let the poor thing languish in obscurity for more than a decade as I went on to create other keto treats. But it’s such a fabulous recipe that I figured the time was right to bring it back to your attention!
What’s so special about this recipe?
So what makes this almond flour cake recipe so incredible? To put it boldly, it has the perfect cake texture, with a fine crumb and a light, fluffy consistency. In my experimenting, I somehow hit upon the ideal ratio of almond flour to the other ingredients. It just works!
And it doesn’t require separating the eggs or beating the egg whites. It’s a straightforward process of beating softened butter with granulated sweetener, then adding eggs and dry ingredients.
The simplicity of the cake itself belies its utter deliciousness. It may not be as eye-catching something more decadent, like a keto chocolate cake with tons of creamy frosting. But it’s sweet and lovely, and really needs no other embellishment or garnish.
It’s also easy to make and looks so elegant with the sliced almonds baked right in. Have it as coffee cake with your morning coffee, or serve it with some whipped cream and berries for dessert. It’s always superb.
Readers love this almond flour cake!
“So yummy!!! I made this in a couple small loaf pans and cut it in small slices, I topped it with whipped cream and strawberry syrup…the cutest and most delicious strawberry shortcake ever! This was also amazing as is????” — Megan
“This is soooooo good! it’s definitely one of my two favorite keto desserts! I’m picky too. I’ve always loved almond cake so I was so happy to find a recipe that tasted like the real thing! Amazing!” — Laurie
“Thank you so much for this recipe, it is the first truly successful almond flour cake recipe I’ve followed! Really pleased with the results, such a tasty cake and the flaked almond crust really works well.” — Colin
Ingredients you need
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- Almond flour: Using good quality almond flour is extremely important for almond flour cake. Many brands say that they are finely ground but you can see the grainy texture when you bake with it. I always recommend Bob’s Red Mill for the finest almond flour.
- Protein powder: Please don’t skip this ingredient. Protein powder helps simulate the protein in gluten, helping baked goods rise properly and hold their shape. And it’s part of what makes this almond flour cake so spectacular!
- Butter: Use unsalted butter and make sure you let it soften properly so that the sweetener combines well. You could use coconut oil for a dairy-free version, but make sure it’s softened but not melted.
- Swerve sweetener: You need a granulated sweetener for this recipe to help whip air bubbles into the softened butter. It helps give the cake a lighter, airier consistency. You can try other sweeteners but I don’t recommend allulose as it makes cakes brown too quickly and look (and taste!) a little burnt.
- Almond extract: I think almond extract is perfect in this cake, but you could use vanilla. You could also do lemon, orange, or something really fun like caramel!
- Eggs: Make sure the eggs are room temperature before you add them, and beat them in one at a time. This creates a lighter, fluffier batter, which translates into a better texture for the cake.
- Liquid: I often use almond milk but you can also do water. For a richer flavor, use half heavy cream and half water.
- Pantry staples: Salt, baking powder.
Step by Step Directions
1. Prepare the pan: Butter a 9×5 inch metal loaf pan very well. Sprinkle the sides and bottom of the pan with sliced almonds, pressing into the butter to help it adhere.
2. Whisk the dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the almond flour, protein powder, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
3. Beat the butter: In a large bowl, beat the butter until smooth. Add the sweetener and beat until lightened and well-combined, about 2 minutes. Beat in the eggs, one at time, scraping down the beaters and sides of bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Beat in the almond extract.
4. Add the dry ingredients: Beat in half of the almond flour mixture, then beat in the almond milk. Beat in the remaining almond flour mixture until well combined.
5. Transfer to the pan: Spread the batter in the prepared pan, being careful not to dislodge the sliced almonds on the sides. Smooth the top.
6. Bake: Bake at 325ºF for 50 to 60 minutes, or until the top is deep golden brown and just firm to the touch. Let cool 30 minutes in the pan before flipping out onto a wire rack.
Expert Tips
While this almond flour cake is easy to make, it’s important to follow the instructions carefully. I specify a metal loaf pan, because glass and ceramic bake very differently and don’t conduct heat nearly as well. So your cake will get brown on the outside but won’t cook through properly in the middle.
Protein powder is a critical ingredient in this recipe, as it helps create the ideal texture. I recommend whey or egg white protein powders, and some plant based versions may work as well. But I do not recommend collagen protein, as it will make the cake gummy and hard to cook through.
Let the cake cool in the pan for at least 30 minutes but don’t leave it too much longer. I’ve noticed that loaf cakes are nice and loose at 30 to 60 minutes, but then start to re-stick to the pan after that. If you have any doubts about your pan, consider lining it with parchment paper.
Do NOT over-bake this cake. Please watch my YouTube video on Keto Cake Baking Tips for my best tips.
Frequently Asked Questions
Used properly, almond flour can be used for baking wonderfully moist and fluffy cakes. But you do need to understand that it behaves very differently from wheat flour. It contains no gluten and far more moisture than wheat flour. I recommend reading Baking with Almond Flour for a better understanding of how it works.
Almond flour contains very few carbohydrates and has plenty of fiber, so it’s an excellent choice for people with diabetes. I find that baked goods made with almond flour do not spike my blood sugar.
This keto almond flour cake recipe has 7.3 grams of carbs and 3.4g of fiber per slice. Thus it has 3.9g net carbs per serving.
More keto almond flour cake recipes
Almond Flour Cake Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- ¼ cup sliced almonds
- 3 cups almond flour
- ⅓ cup unflavored whey protein powder or egg white protein powder
- 2 ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened
- ¾ cup Swerve Granular
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- 1 teaspoon almond extract or vanilla extract
- ½ cup unsweetened almond milk or half heavy cream and half water
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325ºF and butter a 9×5 inch metal loaf pan very well. Sprinkle the sides and bottom of the pan with sliced almonds, pressing into the butter to help it adhere.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the almond flour, protein powder, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat the butter until smooth. Add the sweetener and beat until lightened and well-combined, about 2 minutes. Beat in the eggs, one at time, scraping down the beaters and sides of bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Beat in the almond extract.
- Beat in half of the almond flour mixture, then beat in the almond milk. Beat in the remaining almond flour mixture until well combined. Spread the batter in the prepared pan, being careful not to dislodge the sliced almonds on the sides. Smooth the top.
- Bake 50 to 60 minutes, or until the top is deep golden brown and just firm to the touch. Let cool 30 minutes in the pan before flipping out onto a wire rack.
Amy says
This cake tastes fantastic. I managed to get more rise and a fluffier crumb by separating the eggs, beating the whites with a little cream of tartar into stiff peaks and folding into the batter at the very end. Was a really big hit!! 🙂
Tamera Alexander says
Not sure if you’ll get this, Carolyn. . . I’ve made this several times and LOVE IT! But I’m wondering if it would work if (instead of the almond extract) I added lemon extract and some lemon zest too, to make it lemony. ?? I just love the consistency of this bread.
Carolyn says
I think it would be fabulous. In fact, I have a lemon poppyseed loaf in my upcoming cookbook based on this…
Hanim Duarte says
I think it would work nicely, I make a banana cake with it using banana extract
Lara says
Hi! Your recipe looks amazing and I can’t wait to try it. I live all the way in Malaysia and I can’t find the sugar subs and so will stick with raw coconut palm sugar. How much should I use? Much thanks!
Carolyn says
About the same amount of swerve, maybe a little more.
Lydia says
This looks great! Just wondering, if I want to skip the protein powder, is there anything that I need to take out or add in? I don’t react that well with too much protein.
Thanks!
Carolyn says
You can skip it but your cake won’t rise as well. Just FYI, a scoop of protein powder like this (which replaced the protein from gluten and helps cakes rise and hold their shape) only adds about 18g of protein to the whole recipe, so about 1.5g of protein per serving.
Cynthia says
Can you substitute anything for the whey protein powder?
Carolyn says
Egg white protein would work.
Marie McC says
I’ve made this cake twice now. It’s delicious! The first time it was still uncooked in the middle after letting it bake for a total of 1 hour and 25 minutes! I even increased the heat to 325 for about 10 minutes. Had to finally take it out — center still uncooked — because the crust was starting to burn. I used the recommended almond flour, everything at room temp, loaf pan same size. This isn’t the first time I’ve had problems with things not cooking all the way through, so it has to be my two-year old oven. Here’s what worked for me the second time around: I baked it in a 9×9 glass lasagne pan, giving the batter more room to spread out. Checked a few recipes for other dense cakes (applesauce), and they recommend baking at 350. 300 degrees for a dense almond batter like this seems so low. So I split the difference and baked it for 50 minutes at 325. Checked it at 34 minutes when the wonderful aroma wafted through the house. It was done and completely cooked in the center! The crust was nicely browned but not burned. It’s really good, even if it’s more of a beige than yellow like yours. Thanks for another great recipe, Carolyn.
Colin Hoad says
Thank you so much for this recipe, it is the first truly successful almond flour recipe I’ve followed! Really pleased with the results, such a tasty cake and the flaked almond crust really works well. For any fellow Brits, I used the following conversions for the cup-based measures: 55g flakes almonds, 288g almond flour, 75g protein powder, 115g butter, 15g granulated sweetener, 120ml almond milk. I used the “Diet PhD” whey protein brand (vanilla flavour) and I used Splenda for the sweetener (as well as liquid Stevia drops, as the recipe says).
Thanks again, Carolyn!
Cathy Parks says
What size loaf pan did you use?
Carolyn says
9×5
diputra says
Just wondering if i use 1,5 cup coconut flour and 6 eggs, can i omit whey ? what does whey play in this cake ?
Carolyn says
Whey helps it rise and holds its shape, just like gluten would (gluten is a protein). This is an almond cake, so I don’t think the coconut flour will work very well.
Hangga says
Can i substitute whey powder to psyllium husk ?
Carolyn says
No, I don’t think that would work. It would make it soggy and gel-like.
Michele says
Is this cake moist? It seems like everything I make is dried out and crumbly
Carolyn says
yes, it is very moist. But you need to make sure to use proper almond FLOUR, quite finely ground. I love Bob’s Red Mill, but their almond flour isn’t fine enough for a cake like this.
Cynthia M. says
I just unmolded this and it is cooling on the rack. I have to say it looks gorgeous. It was a little sunken in the center, but I was afraid of leaving it in longer for fear it would be dry and overcooked, because it was very brown. Only had a few wet crumbs clinging to my tester. Came out of the pan in a snap, hoping gravity and cooling makes the depression un-depress. 🙂 My only challenge was the stevia extract. I don’t know what 20 drops is supposed to be the equivalent of. I have liquid stevia, but not drops. I looked up Sweet Leaf stevia extract on Amazon and they said a serving is 5 drops, so I assumed this was equivalent to one teaspoon. Taste test tonight with my girls night. One friend is gluten free and I am low-carb which often translates to making gluten free foods. I try to only make sweets for company, so I am excited to taste.
Carolyn says
Oh dear, no. 20 drops of liquid stevia extract is about 1/4 tsp. I hope you didn’t over sweeten this!
Cynthia M. says
I didn’t mean one tsp of stevia I meant equals 1 tsp of sugar … since most sweeteners give you the equivalent in sugar. 🙂 I tasted the batter, it didn’t taste too sweet.
Cynthia M. says
Everyone loved it, I would make it again. It actually wasn’t sweet enough, but still good. It was a little dry, but I don’t know if that was the protein powder I used. What brand of stevia drops do you use?
Carolyn says
For liquid stevia, I usually use NuNaturals.
Denise S. says
I’m at work and I’m starving. I just read this recipe and my mouth is watering. I’m making this tonight! Thankfully I have all the ingredients at home! Thank you!!!
Mathew says
Made this last night. I can’t imagine how a simple looking cake like this can be so delicious. YUM.
For the record – I replaced a few things as the Tiramisu recipe recommended and some personal preferences;
– No slivered almonds
– Vanilla flavoured whey, not unflavoured
– Vanilla essence, not almond
– Water, not almond milk. I always use water instead of almond milk in recipes like this.
Also, I find it nice to warm up the water gently and patiently dissolve the Erythritol. Too many times has this stuff left a grainy texture so this avoids that risk.
Mat
Carolyn says
Great tips, thank you!
Becky says
Hi Carolyn,
In your introduction to this recipe you said you adapted it from a bundt cake recipe and so halved it to make into a loaf. I love this recipe and wondered – if I were to make a bundt cake, should I double the amounts to make the portions appropriate for a bundt pan? And how would I adjust the baking time?
Carolyn says
Actually, since I first developed this recipe, I’ve made similar ones in my bundt pan without doubling it and it works out quite well. It takes less time to bake because the batter is more spread out (more like 40 minutes). But if you do double it to make a really big cake, it would be great too but I am not sure how long it will take to cook. I always think to start with less time and check frequently. Start with 40 minutes and check every few minutes after that.
Laura E says
Hi Carolyn, is stevia glycerite OK to use for stevia drops?
Thank you soooo much!
Carolyn says
I’m not positive but I think so. Maria Emmerich uses stevia glycerine a lot.
Hanim says
This recipe is just so delicious – I’ve made it twice now, once with almond crust and almond essence and once without almond crust and banana essence. Both yum, but dropped in the centre so I will have to lower my oven (as it was very brown) temp, cook longer and add some extra protein powder and see how I go 🙂 Thanks for this recipe, it is so filling!!!
Dan says
I made the recipe last night and it turned out very well, but my final result does not look “yellow” as in your pictures above. I really feel the look of the final product will sell the taste. I am using almond flour but it has the almond “skin” in the mix so it looks much darker and denser. May I ask what almond flour you use? Would I be better off pulverizing almond slivers which have the brown skin removed to use as the almond flour?
Carolyn says
Hi Dan. You can read all about almond flour and my favorite kinds right here: https://alldayidreamaboutfood.com/2013/02/low-carb-basics-baking-with-almond-flour.html The kind with the skins on is bound to make your cake a little darker and denser.
Judy says
What is the best way to store this? Can it be left out on the counter or does it need to be refrigerated? Have you ever frozen slices individually?
Carolyn says
It can be left on the counter for 2 to 3 days, depending on your climate (very hot and humid, I’d refrigerate it). I haven’t frozen slices but I have frozen it as muffins and it works very well.
Lisa B says
OMG. This came out so very good. I can’t believe it! I could serve this to my family and they would never know it was low carb. It would be great for a tea party or a coffee get together. I am so grateful for this recipe! Thank you!